~*IDUN*~

By: Amber Cross

Idun is the Norse goddess of eternal youth. She carries around a basket of golden apples, which keep the gods and goddesses young. She is also married to Bragi, the god of poetry.

The Theft of Idun’s Apples

One morning Odin, Loki, and Honir traveled to Midgard. They were eager to discover what they didn’t already know about the earth. Before any man in Midgard could wake, they they began walking the stoney ground. The gods then tramped around a spikey, dead, dark rock, and went towards the top of a mountain. They walked and talked all day. That evening they followed a rapid, milky river from a glacier down into a valley.

They did’nt bring any food with them and were beginning to feel very hungry, until they came across a herd of Oxen. Loki sized them up and chose one to kill. Odin and Honir gathered branches and made a fire. They cut the ox in huge pieces and started cooking it. The smell delighted the gods. When theythought the meat was done they pulled it out of the fire.

“It’s not done yet,” said Odin. “We must de desperately hungry because that seemed to take forever.” Loki and Honir put the meat back into the fire.

Suddenly a cold wind swept through the valley. The gods shivered and wrapped the cloaks around themselves as they waited.

“Do you think it’s done yet?” asked Honir. “What should we do?”

Loki checked the meat. Odin noticed it wasn’t ready yet.

“There is nothing wrong with this fire,” said Honir.

“Then why is our dinner as raw as it was to begin with?” asked Loki.

The three gods saw a huge eagle in a tree above the fire.

“Let me eat my fill,” said the eagle, “and your ox will be cooked.”

The gods agreed.

“Since we want to eat very soon.” Odin said to the eagle, “we agree.”

The eagle flew from the tree and snatched both shoulders and both parts of the rump. It glared at the gods and began to eat. Loki was so mad he stabbed the bird with his staff. It screeched and flew off. The staff was stuck in its body and Loki was unable to let go of it. He pulled, twisted and yelled, but it did no good. He was stuck. The eagle flew really fast and really low to the ground so that Loki’s feet would drag across the rocks. His legs would hit boulders and thorns to the point they bled. He cried mercy, but the eagle didn’t notice. It dragged him across a glacier. He cried mercy again as his arms felt like they were going to be pulled out of their sockets.

“On one condition,” the eagle said, “you have to swear…”

“Anything you ask,” replied Loki.

“You have to bring Idun and her apples to me,” said the eagle.

Loki said nothing. He figured out that the eagle had to be one of the giants in disguise. The eagle then dragged him across more rocks so that the pain became unbearable for Loki.

“Mercy,” screamed Loki, “I promise you I’ll bring her.”

“You have seven days,” said the eagle. “Bring her over Bifrost when the sun is halfway between east and west.”

Loki agreed and he was set free. He began limping back home. The seven days passed and he found Idun walking around and singing to herself with her basket of golden apples in one arm. He called out to her and told her he had found a tree with golden apples like hers. She followed him across Bifrost to where the eagle was waiting. As soon as she touched Midgard the eagle snatched her. It took her all the way to Jotunheim. The eagle was none other than Thiazi, a giant just as Loki suspected.

The gods noticed Idun was missing and began to worry. They knew that if they couldn’t find her they would grow old. And, of course, they did. Odin knew he had to get everyone together for a meeting. The only ones missing were Idun and Loki. He asked about who had seen Idun last.

“I saw Loki walk Idun over Bifrost,” said Heimdall’s servant.

“Then we must find Loki,” responded Odin.

They looked everywhere for him. When they found him in Idun’s field they quickly tied him up before he could do anything at all.

“Bring her home,” said Allfather. “If you don’t we will kill you.”

Loki confessed and told them what had happened with the eagle.

“Did you have to actually do it?” asked Odin.

Loki didn’t answer. Odin then told him they would draw a blood-eagle on his back and that his ribcage would break apart like wings. He asked to use Freyja’s falcon skin. Loki went to Thiazi’s home and found Idun alone huddling around a fire. He turned Idun into a nut, clutched her with his claws and flew off really fast. Thiazi cam home and discovered Idun was gone. He put on his eagle skin and flew off looking for her. He wasn’t too far behind Loki. As Loki got closer to Asgard, Thiazi got closer to Loki. Loki finally got to Asgard and Odin saw thiazi gaining on them and had the gods and goddesses light some shavings and the eagle was burned to death. Idun was changed back and offered the gods and goddesses apples.

Resources:

http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/vvolfeheim/The_Theft_of_Iduns_Apples.html

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/i/idun.html